At the end of the last semester or to be more precise, on the 16th of July 2004, I was successful in seeking ineternship in GEOFMANN PHARMACEUTICALS (GP). Located in the Korangi Industrial Area Karachi, GP is a local company preparing more than 139 quality products.
In the GP I was ........................in the QC department. Let me tell you that QC department is composed of three major labs; namely: -
01 ) - Analytical laboratory. (AL)
02 ) - Instrumental laboratory. (IL)
03 ) - Microbial laboratory. (ML)

In the first week, I was there in the AL, where the chemical analysis of the products is done. While working I realized the importance of our theory classes and lab work. To know properly what you have to do there is dependant upon your knowledge about pharmaceutical chemistry i.e., volumetric solutions, factorizations, standardization, titration, extraction etc. Working there required utmost care and proper apparatus handling.
After AL I was transferred to IL where both the analytical and instrumental work is performed. The most important apparatus were :
* HPLC.
* Spectrophotometer.
* Hardness tester.
* Dissolution tester.
* Disintegration tester.

Then I was moved to QA department where we had not only to analyze the quality of our raw material but also to check one of the important procedures i.e., the packaging material; its labelling and printing etc.
Finally I was allowed to work in ML where we had to analyze "water for injection" (WFI) and dextrose everyday. In analysis of WFI we used to detect the chloride, sulphur, phosphorous contents plus the oxodizing matter. The most important was the pyrogen testing which was performed by the "LAL Test". In this ML, the most sensitive work is the bio-assay of antibiotics and the sterility test and that required 100 % aseptic conditions. In GP that is done by "membrane filtration".

According to my experience if we follow all the theoretical classes plus our labs in our educational career, I am sure that we will never feel any type of difficulty in pharmaceutical industries.
During my training the thing which I enjoyef the most was visiting the whole working departments with the QC inspector. This QC inspection is the most sensitive and difficult job where you have to take care of each and everything i.e., from the production to packaging.
On 26th of August 2004, I completed my 200 hours training. And now when I work in my institue lab, I feel myself satisfactory.

BY
RAJESH KUMAR
3rd Year B.Pharm.